The Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), coordinator of VALERECO and lead of the project’s Greek Living Lab, recently organised a Demo Day focused on the field activities and technologies being used to study legume-based cropping systems. The Greek Living Lab operates in the Thiva region and explores how legumes can be integrated into more diversified and resilient Mediterranean farming systems.

The event opened with a welcome from Associate Professor Ilias Travlos, who introduced the purpose of VALERECO and provided participants with an overview of the project’s work.

The programme then moved into the practical part of the day. Nikos Antonopoulos and Metaxia Kokkini presented the experimental plan and guided participants through the experimental field, explaining how the trials have been designed and implemented.

Technology was also an important part of the demonstration. Christina Markou and Metaxia Kokkini presented how drones, field measurements and sensors are being used within the programme to observe and collect information from the field. Participants then had the opportunity to see this work in practice through a drone flight over the experimental area.

The Demo Day also addressed the wider challenges associated with legume cultivation in the region, connecting the experimental work with the realities faced by local producers.

The event concluded with a presentation of results, followed by an open discussion and a question-and-answer session with farmers. This final exchange created space for participants to raise practical questions, share their perspectives and discuss the relevance of the work being carried out in the field.

By bringing research activities directly into the field and opening the conversation to farmers, the Demo Day supported the knowledge exchange and multi-actor collaboration at the heart of the VALERECO Living Lab approach.